veggiestrawenjoyer13's reviews
25 reviews

The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya

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challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.25

I had to read this for school so it’s definitely not something I’d normally pick up. I enjoyed reading it and I became more interested in the author, but it’s just not my normal cup of tea. The author is extraordinary with her words and descriptions, her writing really immerses you into the story she’s telling. Pretty good overall.
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The Scourge by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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adventurous inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was a nostalgia read for me. I was absolutely obsessed in middle school, and I’ve read it so many times. It’s definitely targetted to middle schoolers, but that’s alright. It was still fun to relive a story that used to be so important to me. My honest review would probably be more like 3.5, but the nostalgia has made me rate it higher. The ending felt quite rushed, I would love a sequel!
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Misrule by Heather Walter

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

For the first time ever, I actually liked the sequel better than the first book. Some of the first book continued into this one, like the somewhat flatness of the characters and stereotypical/expected behavior. However, I found myself more interested in continuing the book. I was really skeptical after reading some reviews, though I genuinely was more interested in this book. I could see where the writing style of the author improved in certain places. There were also moments that I completely didnt expect and fully shocked me.
For example, I expected Derek’s betrayal because he was too obviously involved. But I didn’t expect Aurora and Neve’s separate plot. I didnt see it coming, like how I had for Derek and Kal.
The character’s still struggled with lacking dimension, but I think they had more complex emotions and motives than in the first book. This made it much more intriguing to read. The ending became very fast paced and quite rushed, I’m not very satisfied with it. Overall, this book was still better (in my opinion) than the first of the series. I’m not sure that I would recommend them, but if you think this is something you would like, you should give it a try.
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Malice by Heather Walter

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dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book. Before I get into the details, I will be reading the second because I’m interested enough to finish the series. 

It had a bit of a slow start, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It gave me time to understand the characters and adjust to the writing style. I enjoyed the worldbuilding even if occasionally it seemed out of place. I will say the writing was not the best quality (in my opinion). However, the other aspects such as the plot and cast of characters pulled through for me. 

The romance was one of the iffiest parts. I love love love the concept and I do like the love interests together. Though I felt that their relationship could’ve been developed more beyond conversations to move the plot forward. I’d kill for a nice domestic or just..simple banter between them. That could just me by taste in romance. 

The end was definitely one of my favorite parts. I liked the build-up and plot twists. While I was suspicious of some things, the actual reveals were so good. I can see now the hints towards the truth, which is a nice feeling as a reader. Overall, the book was kinda mid compared to my expectations but it had its good parts. 
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Backwards to Oregon by Jae

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adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I have never finished a book in two days before. This book effectively dragged me out of my reading slump. I didn’t think I would be so hooked, as the first few chapters had me skeptical and a little confused. 

However, once the story picked up I couldn’t put the book down. The conflicts had me so on edge, and of course I needed to know how Luke and Nora’s relationship progressed. I feel like their individual struggles were really well-written along with the progression of their relationship. I’ve never been one for reading stories about kids or pregnancy, but I wasn’t revolted by it this time. The found family trope goes so hard, and I adored that the romance wasn’t the only kind of relationship explored here. I also felt great empathy for and interest in the side characters, despite them not being the focus. Also, as a lesbian with a complicated gender identity, Luke’s experience with her gender was a nice addition. 

As much as I enjoyed reading this book, there were some things that caused it not to be a five-star rating. I will say, the writing could be a bit repetitive. This is absolutely not a dealbreaker for me, and I could look past it to enjoy the story. It may bother other people though, which I can understand. Additionally, I can see aspects of how the prostitutes and Native Americans were described as problematic. I believe that wasn’t the intent of the author, and it’s obvious (at least to me) that Jae wanted to minimize those things despite the old-fashioned views of the characters. 

All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who’s into historical queer romance. It’s not the best piece of literature I’ve ever read, but it was so entertaining and I struggled to stop reading it for two days straight. 
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Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

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emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I started this book during a reading slump and unfortunately, it did not pull me out of it. Still, it was an enjoyable read. I got used to the writing style and the characters were interesting. Once the plot picked up more, I felt more compelled to keep reading. It’s definitely an entertaining book and the idea is really unique. I’m used to romance books, so I had hoped there would be more. The representation was realistic and relatable, though. The big reveal towards the end didn’t leave me satisfied, and I only finished it so that I could start another book. I can see where someone would love this story, but I think it’s just not my cup of tea. It was an average reading experience for me, as much as I wanted to love it. 
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Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

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adventurous hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book was really good and had amazing characters/plot. I was hooked almost immediately and could really get into the writing style. I enjoyed Esther’s inner thoughts and the narration of everything. However, the reason it’s not rated higher is the length. I feel like I would’ve been more emotionally attached to the characters (much sooner) if there had been more. The book could have started with Esther’s backstory and her escape. I also could’ve done with a little more worldbuilding because (maybe it was just me) I didn’t fully understand until about halfway through. I liked the ending a lot, but there could’ve been more in the middle where we got to see more of the group. I still loved everyone, and this book got me out of a reading slump! 
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Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 59%.
The concept was interesting and I was hooked in the beginning. The writing style was just not for me. I can definitely see how people enjoy this book and connect with it though. It’s not a bad book, just not for me. The writing got a little much for me and it was hard to understand what was going on, I started just skimming pages. 
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The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai

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adventurous reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but I think I was pleasantly surprised. It was a lot more politically focused than I anticipated and was something hard to get through. However, I really enjoyed the pace and structure of the plot. Worldbuilding in any fantasy book can be a mouthful, but once you get past it, there is a lot of potential here. By halfway through, I was super invested and hooked. I don’t feel extremely attached to the characters, but I do like them a lot and I can’t wait to see where they end up in the second book.
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The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I really enjoyed this book. I did not expect any of the plot twists or reveals, and it was super exciting to find out the truth about everything! The characters felt raw and realistic, not overdone or underdeveloped. Their emotions felt authentic, I could really connect with them. The writing was great, especially with descriptions and things like that. Very intriguing  vocabulary/writing style. The end was bittersweet in a way but it felt just right. One specific thing I noticed that I loved was that the modern media references and gay jokes did not feel forced. Usually in books that dialogue would make me cringe and give a lower rating. However, I found the humor to be very tasteful and Logan was relatable to me as a teen lesbian. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes horror, mystery, and exploring who you are in difficult times.
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